This invention relates to an improved process for the economical production of synthetic crude oil and alcohol. The synthetic crude oil is obtained from low temperature coal tars which have been obtained by carefully controlling the temperature during the carbonization of various cool materials such as coal, peat, lignite, trash and solid waste. The alcohol is obtained during the process by synthesizing the gases evolved during the process under controlled conditions of heat and pressure.
As described in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,734, the synthetic crude oil and accompanying gaseous products are obtained by introducing heated low temperature tars with hydrogen into an insulated drum containing a suitable catalyst comprised of one or more of the following elements: cobalt, molybdenum or nickel. The residence time of the combined heated low temperature tars and hydrogen in the presence of the catalyst is sufficient to produce a petroleum-like synthetic crude oil. A batch or continuous type process may be used to accomplish the formation of an expanded "high type" synthetic crude oil. This expanded high grade synthetic crude oil from which most of the sulfur has been removed during the process contains a large percentage of naphtha and is ready for further processing. Following removal of the naphtha fractions by methods well known in the art, the bottoms or remainder of the synthetic crude oil can be introduced and recycled into the low temperature tars entering the system.
The synthetic crude oil formed by the process of the present invention can be refined by any of the processes well known in the petroleum industry. End products, after refining, depending on the variation of heat, pressure and time that the low temperature tars and hydrogen are in contact with the catalyst will contain high precentages of aromatic hydrocarbons, amines, phenols, paraffins, olefins and various other light end materials. Gaseous products formed will contain hydrogen, light end gases, nitrogen compounds, and hydrogen sulfide, all of which can be processed into marketable products.